Compared to the JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) or PNG (Portable Network Graphics) formats, GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is clearly behind technically, but web developers still use GIFs, mostly because virtually all browsers support it, making it a safe choice, and also because of its small file size.
Then, why ditch the GIF format? After all, it does what we need it to do, right? Well, simply put, it’s because PNG and JPEG are better, much better. It’s like using an old typewriter instead of a computer to put your thoughts on a piece of paper, it still does the job, but it doesn’t look as good.
So unless you want to create an animated image (which is possible only using GIF), you should use JPEG to create photographic images and PNG for all your other graphic needs.
Comparing GIF, JPEG and PNG formats
Some will argue that I make a big deal out of nothing and that using GIFs is perfectly fine. Actually, I still use GIFs sparingly here and there myself, when I need a basic solid color image for example. But I always compare with a PNG version first to check which is smaller, and when GIF wins, it’s always by a tiny margin.